Surviving the App Store Review — Rejection and Approval

The Wait After Submission

Submitting an app to the App Store for the first time is a mix of relief and anxiety.

Apple's review guidelines are long. I had read through them carefully during development, but the moment I hit submit, I kept second-guessing myself. "Did I miss something? Is the location permission description detailed enough?"

The wait stretched on. Then the result came back: rejected.

Why It Got Rejected

The rejection message listed two issues.

Issue 1: Unclear location permission description

The app uses location data to find nearby restaurants, but my permission request description was too vague — something like "This app uses your location." Apple wants the description to explain why the location is needed, in concrete terms.

The fix was simple: I updated NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription in Info.plist to read "Used to search for restaurants near your current location." Specific, accurate, done.

Issue 2: Screenshot resolution mismatch

The screenshots I submitted didn't match the required dimensions for the device categories. I went back to the simulator, recaptured at the exact required resolutions, and resubmitted.

Approval

After resubmitting, approval came in two days.

"Congratulations! Your app, Random Lunch, has been approved..."

That email is hard to describe. All the fatigue from development just dissolves. It's real — something you built is now on the App Store, available to anyone.

First Reactions

On launch day, I shared the link with friends and coworkers. The responses were encouraging: "Oh this actually looks useful," and "We used it for lunch today." First reviews trickled in — "Solved my decision paralysis," "Using it every day."

The first time you see strangers using something you built, it hits differently. That's the moment you understand why indie development is worth it.